Guest host and shop tour with Lee and Kelli Weatherby, Accurate Automotive, Mesa, AZ. Find out how they are expanding their fleet business.

Watch Full Video Episode HERE

Lee and Kelli Weatherby, Accurate Automotive, Mesa. AZ. Previous episodes HERE

Key Talking Points 

• Started business in 1994
• 11 lifts, 16 bays
• R & D- rip off and duplicate ideas
• Pivot to recruiting fleet business- keep car count steady and allowed them to work as a team with new energy. Who is servicing fleets in their area? Are they just accepting what they are receiving with repair work?
• Relationships- door to door building connections in person
• What are you offering that will tip the scale to your favor? Put on their shoes and address their needs. 
• “Friends Serving Friends”

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Important Books

Check out today’s partner:

Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour

Matt Lachowitzer is a husband, father of 3, avid Minnesota Vikings fan, and owner and founder of Matt’s Automotive Service Center. A Herman, MN native, Matt started this company as a two-bay shop back in 2009. He has expanded the company into 6 locations with beautiful, state of the art facilities all over the Fargo-Moorhead area. Matt enjoys being a pillar in the community, giving back in any way he can, and providing knowledge and education in the biggest ways possible. As a result of being a continuous educator and an amazing pillar in the community, Matt won Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015 through the Fargo-Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. When Matt’s not working, he enjoys fishing, riding ATV’s, watching football, and traveling with his family. Check Matt’s other episodes HERE.

Emily Chung is a proud mom of two energetic boys. She owns and operates AutoNiche, a family-friendly auto repair shop in Markham. She is a licensed Automotive Service Technician, and Automotive Writer with various publications. She also teaches in the Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College. Emily holds a degree from the University of Waterloo in Psychology and Business, and her previous jobs include Psychometrist and Human Resources Associate.

She has appeared on various media including Breakfast Television, Cityline, and the Marilyn Denis Show. She is passionate about her work; together with her staff, AutoNiche’s purpose is to bring better communication and client service to the auto repair experience. Check Emily’s previous episodes HERE.

Kelli Weatherby co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ. Accurate Automotive was founded in July 1994

Their time building Accurate Automotive, Inc. has been very adventurous. Along the way they have been fortunate to have received awards but mostly Kelli treasures her involvement in ATI and being a part of the sole all women 20 groups, Leading Ladies.

Kelli is the mother of 2. Morgan (daughter), Corbin (Son) both married now and working in their careers. Corbin is a father of 3 which makes me a Nana who LOVES to spoil her little’s!!!  Listen to Kelli’s previous episodes HERE.

Kevin Eckler, a Dad and a mentor along with wife Lisa, own Foreign Car Specialists, in Poughkeepsie, NY. Kevin has been named Albany, NY region’s ASE Tech of the Year 2019 and 2020. He was also voted Best mechanic in the Hudson Valley, which encompasses Westchester, Putnum, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster and Greene counties. Kevin is a 40 year veteran of the industry, and still has a love for it and simply cannot understand why anyone would tell a young person to get out while they can, instead of inspiring them to greatness! Kevin’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

Matt Lachowitzer

Not letting go of the cancer in my shop because he was a “super tech”

 Some points

1.  I was afraid because he was our best tech, highest producing, could fix anything
2. I didn’t know if our team could replace what he could do
3. It appeared that he was well liked, and I didn’t want to cause issues, even though it was causing lots of issues. Lost front end staff especially.

Emily Chung

• I didn’t terminate the employee soon enough
• I believed that I couldn’t run the business without him
• The employee was a great technician, and I thought that meant I could take advice from him in other areas e.g. business operations

 Lessons learned

• Slow to hire, quick to fire
• Being a tech and being a business owner are very different skills
• I’m more resourceful than I give myself credit for, no matter what happens I’ll figure it out

 Blessings

• The experience has added resiliency to my character
• I now know the price I pay when I allow toxicity to persist
• I was able to work through that season of my business

Kelli Weatherby

• Our 20 group had made mention that we were going to have shop spotlights as a line item in our meetings for 2020 and beyond. As discussed, this would help shops/owners in reaching goals set along with many other advantages. Lee and I along with another local shop had been part of an in-person shop tour. So my thought was there is NO way we would be considered for a spotlight. OH BOY WAS I WRONG. 
• We were lucky to have 5 separate committees 1.) Facilities 2.) Marketing 3.) Management 4.) Finance 5.) Lee and Kelli Headspace support
• Outcome (PRICELESS) – With the help that was rendered I believe we were prepared and STRONG in all that was 2020. We put together AND finalized our organization chart. Our standard operating procedures were dialed in with new manuals. Our financials and budgets along with our 3 yr business plan have been shared with our whole management team. Our succession is going forward. Lee and I are working diligently on our 35 yr marriage and have included a counselor that we BOTH agree is helpful. I mentioned this last but I certainly believe with ALL that I am, this is the most important work we do. In a business where the owner/operators are all in and on deck looking to manage personal challenges AND business growth and personnel engagement along with customer experience….MAN OH MAN this will spin the head  
• If you feel any of this is relevant to where you would like to go, I am an open book and glad to share. If not, l have had many experiences with what started out as a train wreck, turned to a golden opportunity for growth!!

Kevin Eckler

• Being too busy and drawn up into the moment and not seeing the bigger picture was my fatal flaw.I was so consumed in the daily work that I never seriously sought out bettering myself thru business education and only sought out technical knowledge.
• My focus was being the best at what I did, which is fine, except I continued to view myself as a tech and not an owner. It was safe, comfortable, familiar, and completely the wrong way to, which held growth and prosperity way back and kept us as a shop from being who we could have been.
• So in short, not stepping into and owning the position that had come to hold and clinging to what was safe almost financially, physically, and emotionally destroyed me.Accepting and finally embracing my responsibilities and putting the same efforts into becoming an educated owner as I did as a tech is when the change began in the business towards being successful. It is still a fight to not fall back into what is safe, but I now own my place and responsibilities.

Resources:

• A special thanks to Matt Lachowitzer, Emily Chung, and Kelli Weatherby for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Listen to all Remarkable Results Radio, For The Record and Town Hall Academy episodes.

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This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at getshopware.com

This episode is brought to you buy Shop Marketing Pros. Your guides are Kim and Brian Walker with a rich history as shop owners and industry veterans. When someone searches for a shop, who are they finding? Your competitors? It should be you! The good people over at Shop Marketing Pros know how to drive website traffic and make Google work for you! www.shopmarketingpros.com

Informative and fun 25 minutes to improve your business and career. Shop tour at BG Automotive in Ft. Collins, CO with Phil Christensen and guest Kelli Weatherby from Accurate Automotive in Mesa, AZ. Streaming on Facebook LinkedIn and Youtube #aftermarketweekly #aftermarketstrong

• Developing Your Marketing w/New Ideas
• Survey: Key Technician Challenges
• Best Practices w/Kelli Weatherby
• Shop Tour: BG Automotive, Ft. Collins, CO
• Trivia- 1940 First 4×4 Army Vehicle

• Hunt Demarest, CPA   Parr Melis
• Kelli Weatherby,  Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ. 
• Andy Bizub, Midwest Performance Cars, Chicago
• Keith Katz, Quality Service Center, York, PA

Includes:

• Q & A from aftermarket professionals
• Discussion on CARES Act (Phase 3.5)
  • $310B PPP    PPP Ran out 10 days ago
  • $ 60B EIDL
  •  $75B Hospitals
  •  $25B Corona Virus Testing
  • TOTAL $470B

The panel:

• Kelli Weatherby Kelli Weatherby co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ. Accurate Automotive was founded in July 1994
• Andy Bizub, Midwest Performance Cars, Chicago
• Keith Katz, Quality Service Center, York, PA
• Karim Morsli owner of Winkler Automotive in Gaithersburg, MD

Talking points:

• Banking relationship
• Guarantees
• Required forms/documents seem to vary by bank
• No standard way to apply. Variations among banks on requirements necessary to file



David Roman began his automotive career in 1999, attending an automotive technical school at a local community college. While attending college, he took a part-time job at a large parts retailer, hoping to gain some experience in the field. This part-time job turned into full-time employment, as he was promoted to management, culminating in placement as a store manager in East Central Illinois.

David discovered a passion for helping people and sharing his automotive knowledge. This passion for serving others allowed him the opportunity to successfully manage multi-million dollar operations in Illinois, the St. Louis area, and eventually Kansas City. His approach to customer service garnered him several accolades and awards, something he eventually wanted to bring to automotive repair and service.

In 2012, he opened Done With Care Auto Repair with the goal of bringing exceptional customer service, transparency, and honest work to his clients. The business was started with only some savings, no prior clients, and no history. Over the last six years, David has been able to bring a servant’s mentality to helping his clients with their automotive needs resulting in loyal customers, excellent reviews, and a solid reputation.  Find other episodes that feature David HERE.

Kelli Weatherby co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ. Accurate Automotive was founded in July 1994

Their time building Accurate Automotive, Inc. has been very adventurous. Along the way they have been fortunate to have received awards but mostly Kelli treasures her involvement in ATI and being a part of the sole all women 20 groups, Leading Ladies.

Kelli is the mother of 2. Morgan (daughter), Corbin (Son) both married now and working in their careers. Corbin is a father of 3 which makes me a Nana who LOVES to spoil her little’s!!!   Listen to Kelli’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points:

• Begin with the end in mind as you work to build your relationship with your customer
• Consider mystery shop your business
  • We do ignore many of the things that are wrong with our business
  • We can get dumb to our surroundings
• Offer customers a tour of your shop
  • Involve them in new equipment
  • Get them to meet your technicians. A bright spot for your technician
  • Allow them to get a view of your clean and high-tech shop
• Define your customer life cycle
  • Type of lead acquisition, cold lead, warm lead, referral
  • Their experience, inspection processes, getting an estimate, selling work, receiving service
  • Follow up (back-end) biggest opportunity if front end if set up correctly
    • Your groundwork for future work is set with each experience they have with you
    • It is not asking for additional work, it is about providing value to the customer and continuing to build a relationship in a natural process
      • Use email, social media, texts, phone calls
      • David strives for a weekly touch with his customer
    • Consistent contact with your customer. They will receive you if you provide consistent value
  • Customer should know this is a long term relationship
  • It is too easy to send a mailer with a ‘let’s get acquainted’ email and your existing customers get the mailer. How do they feel? David says this is a wrong tactic.
• You are working hard to get a new customer than to build a relationship with a customer who has already been in your door
• David sends monthly emails with landing pages
  • The message is we appreciate you
• Determine what works consistently for you
  • Email with landing pages
  • Newsletter
  • Mailer
  • Social
• Your emails need to be organic and not institutional
  • An example was a story of scorched gravy at Thanksgiving
  • Connect with your customers at a different level. Not boring.
  • We appreciate you as our customer is communicated in David’s marketing.
  • We want you to come back over and over again
  • We are educating you, providing value to you
  • David D. Get his email for inspiration
  • Find a smooth way to lead into a sale (a soft sale)
• David does not believe that social posts are not getting the kind of engagement you need for the effort you put in
• A community relationship needs to be brought into your email marketing. Leverage it for your marketing
  • Find the organic story in each of your experiences and turn that into a post or email
  • Your philanthropy should not be for profit, but to profile you and your company’s causes
  • Include pics of your philanthropy in your mailers and not pictures of cars or your building
• Texting works unless you are sending one to sell declined work. Careful. Texting is a tactical tool to keep in touch but not for a hard sell.
  • Kelli uses more texts than emails
• Find the story to tell from the many jobs you do each day that helps customer know the story of safety and reliability
  • Make it genuine
  • Your voice in the words you write
  • Use your smartphone to capture a moment to share
  • Life gives you content. You need to recognize it
• David uses software to create custom campaigns
  • Many options like Infusionsoft, Entraport, Click Funnels
• Kelli advises watching ‘Sticky Church’ on YouTube
• David says you are the best marketer for your small business. Careful if you delegate it. Your voice, your personality is unique to you. You know your company best and see organic content each day that others may not see unless you share
  • All the sales are in the follow-up.
  • The second visit is worth 6 times the initial visit.     (sound bite: 45) up to :47
  • The second and third visits are critical and should permeate your marketing
• Your marketing efforts are about building trust

Resources:

• A special thanks to David Roman and Kelli Weatherby for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email

Subscribe to a mobile listening app HERE

Thanks to Shop Ware and Jasper:

This episode is brought to you by Shop-Ware Shop Management. It’s time to run your business at its fullest potential with the industry’s leading technology. Shop-Ware Shop Management will increase your efficiency with lightning-fast workflows, help your staff capture more sales every day, and create very happy customers who promote your business. Shops running Shop-Ware have More Time and generate More Profit—join them! Schedule a free live demonstration and find out how 30 minutes can transform your shop at shop-ware.com

This episode is brought to you by Jasper Engines & Transmissions. When a car’s engine or transmission fails, it’s not the end of the road. A re-manufactured drive-train product from Jasper Engines & Transmissions will give your car a new lease on life. JASPER has over 2000 Associates, three manufacturing facilities, two distribution centers, and 45 branch offices across the country. They’re all working to produce, transport and deliver the perfect product. That’s what they do best… keep customers happy. Visit jasperengines.com



What is your future? Have you planned it? What are you doing to ensure your success in the next 5, 10 or 15 years? If you do nothing you get what you currently have and that may not sustain you to far into the future.

Your panel: Kelli Weatherby,  co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ., Bill Nalu, owner of Interstate Auto Care, Madison Heights, MI and AJ Nealey, Nealey Auto Service, Edgewater MD. This diverse group has some similar yet some different strategies for their future. It is so refreshing to hear the dialogue and then compare their tactics to your current or long term plans. 

We are in a dynamic industry that is in a heightened change curve. Keeping up at all levels will bring you spoils. And keeping your eye on your business with the future in sight is an important responsibility you have to your employees and your family.

We talk BHAG’s, Debt, Branches, Succession, Training, refinancing, and SWOT among others.

The Panel:

Kelli Weatherby co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ. Accurate Automotive was founded in July 1994

Their time building Accurate Automotive, Inc. has been very adventurous. Along the way they have been fortunate to have received awards but mostly Kelli treasures her involvement in ATI and being a part of the sole all women 20 groups, Leading Ladies.

Kelli is the mother of 2. Morgan (daughter), Corbin (Son) both married now and working in their careers. Corbin is a father of 3 which makes me a Nana who LOVES to spoil her little’s!!!   Listen to Kelli’s previous episodes HERE.

Bill Nalu is President of Interstate Auto Care in Madison Heights, Michigan and has been in business for 30 years.  He collaborates with industry professionals, in building today’s “high-tech/old-fashioned” customer service system. Bill has been a big contributor to the podcast and he currently serves on several industries and educational advisory councils including AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper, Dorman Industries, and Cardone. Listen to Bill’s previous episodes HERE.

AJ Nealey got the mechanical bug at a young age playing with Legos. The bug quickly escalated to wrenching on his own car in high school, to his first full-time job as a technician and also to a racing career.

He started Nealey Auto Service, Edgewater, MD, out of his one bay garage in 2011 after his racing career came to an end. After he married his wife, Stephanie, in 2014. AJ and Stephanie decided to focus all energy and resources to grow Nealey Auto Service. It all started with taking RLO Training’s Guerilla Shop Management course. Since then, they have grown to a 9 bay facility with 8 employees and have increased sales a total of 1172% since then. Listen to AJ’s previous episodes HERE.

Key Talking Points

• AJ Nealy: The importance of a BHAG – be a visionary – set the dream and do it
• AJ: Debt reduction is an important goal so he can reach his goal of 10 shops in 15 years
  •  He will purchase going to profitable shops. Be a player in their succession plan
• Bill is too much of a micro-manager and perfectionist and has not grown branches because of that 
• Bill needs a top-quality number two in the business to take some of his focus
• A large part of Bill’s move forward strategy was to pay off the building and his house
• Kelli has refinanced their building
• Kelli is working on a succession plan with her husband Lee. They are working with their service manager and lead technician
• AJ has done a SWOT analysis on his business (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)  See Academy on SWOT Here.
  • Do a SWOT on each individual team members
    • Where do your people want to grow? Align with their gifts
  • Kelli and her husband did an individual SWOT because they are partners. She said it was hard to do
• AJ has sent a technician for a week-long hands-on training on Hybrid and  Electrical Vehicle training.
  • Created a marketing campaign to promote Hybrid/EV repair capabilities
• Kelli: You must keep your obligations to the government for your sales tax (if applicable) and payroll and IRS taxes. If you don’t this is a burden that will hurt your future plans.
  • Use the Profit First strategy to keep monies available for all your obligations
  • Listen to podcasts on Profit First Here.
• “ If you empty your purse into your head, no one can take that away from you.” Benjamin Franklin
• Long term commitment to training at all levels if you want an edge; owner, service adviser and technicians
• Books mentioned: Traction, Rocket Fuel, Strengths Finder. Find them on the Books Page HERE.
• Digital Vehicle software is here to stay and turns what is wrong with the industry upside down as it brings transparency and honesty to automotive repair.
• Consolidation may open opportunities. AJ is not afraid of consolidation. He is a service business and will bring that to his customer.
• Consumers know the Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing
  • You’ve got to differentiate yourself and stand for what you believe in

Resources:

• A special thanks to Bill Nalu, AJ Nealy, and Kelli Weatherby for their contribution to the aftermarket.
• Books Page HERE
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

The Panel are members of ATI’s female only twenty group the ‘Leading Ladies’. Pictured above Shelle Bennett, Judi Haglin and Kelli Weatherby.

Judi Haglin and husband Dana own Haglin Automotive Inc., a full-service auto repair shop in Boulder, CO, and they’ve been leaders in the Boulder auto repair industry since 1981.

Judi and Dana have a super working relationship and they pay attention to details, share a core value; ‘Everyone Speaks’ that is part of their strong business culture.

They received Motor Age’s Top Shop honor in 2015. Key to their success is they know their roles and together make a strong business owner. They say, “Fixing cars is secondary, we are primarily solving our customer’s problems”. Previous episodes HERE.

Kelli Weatherby co-owner, with husband Lee, in Accurate Automotive, Inc. in Mesa, AZ. Accurate Automotive was founded in July 1994

Their time building Accurate Automotive, Inc. has been very adventurous. Along the way they have been fortunate to have received awards but mostly Kelli treasures her involvement in ATI and being a part of the sole all women 20 groups, Leading Ladies.  

Kelli is the mother of 2. Morgan (daughter), Corbin (Son) both married now and working in their careers. Corbin is a father of 3 which makes me a Nana who LOVES to spoil her little’s!!!   Listen to Kelli’s previous episodes HERE.

Shelle Bennett Mike’s Kars, Inc. Gettysburg, PA and her husband Mike purchased the business from Shelle’sparents in 2001.  (Her parents started the business in the late ’70s.)  Shelle joined the business in 2003 to help continue the transition from parent to child.  As we transitioned, grew the business and made it more efficient, Mike needed another challenge and became a coach with ATI.  At that time my parents had been out of the business for a few years and that left me at the helm.  So … since spring of 2011 I have been solo – of course with Mike, my ATI coach and the Leading Ladies 20 Group a phone call or text away for support. The shop has 4 bays, 3 techs, 2 service advisors, 1 admin assistant.

Key Talking Points:

• Women owners in an ATI twenty group.
• They work hard in their group and they have homework and it is frowned upon if it is not done.
• They’ll do a zoom meeting and they have a private Facebook Group.
• They collectively read a book and then discuss their take-a-ways.
• Business Culture is very important to this group.
• They love to talk business.
• Confidence is a great result of the twenty group.
• They’ve used the Bird Test to evaluate their compatibility to their teams and each other. Knowing each other’s unique and distinctive traits that clarify personality and innermost being.  
• The power of the group is the group. We are safe inside the group. We have a safe learning environment.
• The secret to the success of the business is YOU.
• Give your team a voice in changes in the business.
• Too many shop owners do not have humility in order to make a change and grow their company.
  • They need to look up and start to network.
  • Start looking long term and not on getting out. This mentality will not help grow your business.
  • Get involved locally.
• Fear of sharing holds shop owners back.
  • There is enough cars/work for everyone.
  • Business is a forever rollercoaster of opportunities and challenges
  • Let your vendors know you are an open shop   
• Technology will be an extremely important factor to pay attention to.
  • E-commerce with parts buying issues will become factors in our business plans
  • Installing customer parts will become an issue to deal with.
  • Is it possible to sell ‘labor’ online and sell a package of hours to the consumer?

Get in touch with Judi, Shelle, and Kelli via Carm’s email HERE.

Resources:

• Thanks to Shelle Bennett, Judi Haglin and Kelli Weatherby for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
• Link to the ‘BOOKS‘ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
• Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

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This episode is brought to you by Federal-MogulMotorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

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